Chapter One

Kate blinked against the pale morning light filtering through her bedroom window. With a groan, she reached for her laptop like it was part of her morning ritual—brush teeth, open laptop, regret life choices…the normal routine. The familiar whir of the fan greeted her as the screen lit up, and without even thinking, she typed mymatch.com into the browser.

Her sister Sarah had convinced her to join the dating site after the last breakup left her depressed and unable to function like a human being for several months. Kate hadn’t expected much, certainly not a meet-cute or fairy tale, but she figured it couldn't hurt. Worst case? She’d get a few stories to roll her eyes about over brunch.

She scrolled through the messages. Nothing new, just a rehash of the usual suspects: men posing shirtless on mountain cliffs, gripping fish the size of toddlers, or standing beside freshly hunted deer like it was a dating requirement.

What was it with guys and dead animals?

She sighed and clicked over to the Online Today list in the app. More photos. More Brad's. More Dan's. Were these guys manufactured in a lab somewhere? She laughed at her own thoughts. Outdoorsy Ken: Now available in flannel and optional beard.

She swiped past one man who had what looked like a Coke bottle halfway up his nose, another flexing beside a lifted truck, and a third…surprise…rock climbing.

“Brad, Dave, Dan, Chris…it’s like Pokémon Go but for basic men,” she muttered. "Gotta collect all of them I guess."

Shaking her head, Kate shut the laptop and reached for her phone. She scrolled to Sarah’s number and hit call.

“Hey, nerd. What are you up to?” Sarah answered cheerfully, always one coffee ahead of reality.

“Trying to date, apparently. You didn’t tell me they all look the same and have the creativity of a toaster tart.”

Sarah laughed, then added sarcastically, “No! Do they really? Who knew we’ve been dating the same five guys since high school? That explains a lot.”

“Exactly. I think we’ve been recycling the same human beings in different zip codes.” She couldn't help but wonder how her married friends and family members found their true loves.

“Maybe it's time we stop expecting evolution from people who list ‘grilling’ as a hobby,” Sarah added.

Kate smiled, loving her sister’s wit. “More than likely. So anyway, I’m going out with the girls tonight. Just dancing at Milano’s. Want to come?”

“Duh. I’ll be there with glitter on. Maybe we’ll find someone with a real name. If you find an Elijah or a Sebastian, snatch him quick. No more Brad's or Chad's. I’m maxed out.”

Kate laughed. “Honestly, I just want to get drunk and hook up. Romance is dead, and I am not sending flowers.”

“Kate, you’re a treasure. A drunk, slightly horny treasure,” Sarah paused. “I’ll come. I need a break anyway. My manager breathed wrong again, and I nearly threw my laptop at him.”

Kate snorted. “Eight o'clock. Don’t be late…again.”

With the call ended, Kate stretched and slid out of bed, heading toward the shower. Steam curled around her like fog, and for a moment, she let the hot water wash away the weight of responsibility and the idea of men entirely. Now was her time to start focusing on work for the day.

As the owner of a boutique in the city's wealthiest zip code, Kate was constantly juggling more than men—such as dog-carrying socialites, pushy personal assistants, and the occasional customer who mistook “boutique” for “bargain bin.”

Still, the money was good and the fashion was fierce.

She dressed in one of her shop's best-selling outfits…a black pencil skirt paired with a navy-blue and black floral blouse that cinched at the waist and flared slightly at the hips. Her dark blue heels clicked confidently against the tile as she grabbed her tote bag and stepped into the morning.

Kate unlocked the boutique’s back door just as the sun peeked over the building across the street. Her employees would arrive soon—well, all but Jade, who’d texted that morning with flu symptoms and emojis that looked vaguely contagious.

She didn’t mind the early solitude. It gave her time to breathe.

There was Kayla, the human espresso shot who could memorize names like she was running for office, and Javi—fabulous, hilarious, and always ready with a snarky fashion tip. Together, they turned the boutique into more than a store. It was practically a runway with sass.

Kate booted up her office computer, checked the sales numbers from yesterday (steady), ordered more handbags (those new faux-leather clutches were flying off the shelves), and skimmed her inventory.

Still ahead of schedule, she—against her better judgment—opened up mymatch.com again. A new message blinked in her inbox. Someone called Alex.

Her pulse ticked up.

He looked...normal. No dead animals. No sunglasses or bathroom mirror selfies. His profile photo showed him inside the Library of Congress, standing near a wall of old books. Intelligent. Clean. Potentially literate. A miracle.

His message was even better:

Alex: Hello! My name is Alex. I saw your profile and thought we’d be a good match. I see you enjoy classic novels—I do too! I’m also into history and biographies. What books are your favorites?

Kate’s heart did a little backflip.

She typed back:

Kate: Hi Alex, I’m Kate. I love reading Gothic novels. Dracula is probably my favorite. I know, dark, right? But there’s something so romantic about it. Less cheese, more mystery.

Just as she hit send, the back door swung open and Kayla’s laugh rang out, followed by Javi’s unmistakable, “Oh no, girl. You did not wear that scarf with those shoes.”

Kate smiled, but her eyes flicked back to her screen—three dots were dancing. Alex was typing.

Alex: Dracula is a classic. I still read it every fall. I always thought Jonathan Harker was underrated. Personally, I relate more to movie Dracula's—I’m not a fan of garlic. I am totally allergic. HA!

Kate laughed out loud.

Kate: Well, unfortunately for you, I am a garlic fan. You might want to avoid me on Italian night down at Giovani's. Lol. I’m a sucker for Indian food too. Butter chicken is my weakness. What about you?

She was mid-message when Javi poked his head into her office.

“Your face is glowing. That means one of two things, either you found a man, or you discovered a discount handbag site. Which one is it?”

Kate quickly minimized the window.

“It’s just hot in here,” she said, not at all convincingly. "I haven't turned on the air yet."

Kayla walked in behind him, eyes narrowing as she adjusted a different scarf around her neck. “You’re blushing. Did you do something slutty?”

“I’m not. And no, I didn't.”

“There’s totally a guy,” Javi sang. “And I want details. I need to vet him. Make sure he’s not a Republican or worse, a Cross Fitter.”

Kate rolled her eyes and admitted, “His name is Alex. We just started chatting like two seconds ago. Don't make it a thing.”

Javi gasped like it was Christmas. “When do we meet this prince?”

“Never. You scare people.”

“Only the weak and homophobes!” he replied proudly, twiddling the end of his orange ascot.

Kate’s phone buzzed this time. Of course, she had the app on her phone. She made a mental reminder to silence it later. A message from Alex flashed on her home screen as she raised her phone to her face. Javi and Kayla rushed over to read behind Kate's back.

Alex: Same here! I love Indian food. Let’s talk more later. Maybe meet up soon? I have to get back to work.

Her stomach did a small pirouette. Maybe—just maybe—there was something good waiting ahead. Maybe Alex would turn out to be someone worth logging in for after all.

"Tell him yes!" Javi said forcefully.

"Yeah, you can't miss out on this guy. He's cute!" Kayla replied as she commandeered the phone to look at his photos before handing it back to Kate.

"Fine but only if the two of you will shut up and get back to work."

Javi and Kayla lifted their hands in surrender and backed out of the room. Kate went back to the conversation to respond.

Kate: Sure. Sounds great. Message me later with the details.

Then she logged out and got back to work.